New here, but not to soaping...

SummerlandSoaps · Dec 20, 2010

Hi,
My name is Melissa and I have been soaping since I was a kid. I used to help my grandmother make old fashioned lard soap. She used a milk crate lined with butcher's paper as a mold and we had to stir for hours!

Soaping has come a long way! The stick blender is the best invention the soaping world has ever seen in my opinion!

I just discovered your site last week from a friend, and I love it! Thank you all for being so friendly and informative! Even someone like me, who has made soap for years needs advice from time to time!!!

heyjude · Dec 20, 2010

Welcome. It's nice to have you join us!

soapbuddy · Dec 21, 2010

Welcome Melissa!
My mother and grandmother made soap also. It must be in our blood.

SummerlandSoaps · Dec 21, 2010

soapbuddy said:
Welcome Melissa!
My mother and grandmother made soap also. It must be in our blood.

My grandma used it for laundry, dishes, bathing, washing the animals.. everything! Of course, she didn't make anything fancy. No colors, scents or anything like that. In fact, she didn't even weigh her oils and lye.. she had a scoop! lol

soapbuddy · Dec 21, 2010

SummerlandSoaps said:
soapbuddy said:

Welcome Melissa!
My mother and grandmother made soap also. It must be in our blood.

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My grandma used it for laundry, dishes, bathing, washing the animals.. everything! Of course, she didn't make anything fancy. No colors, scents or anything like that. In fact, she didn't even weigh her oils and lye.. she had a scoop! lol

Oh yes! My grandmother had a empty coffee can for oils under the kitchen sink.

SummerlandSoaps · Dec 21, 2010

soapbuddy said:
Oh yes! My grandmother had a empty coffee can for oils under the kitchen sink.

I think that is why lye soap can have a bad rap amongst some people. They think about the soap their grandmas made and how it tended to be harsh on the skin. Back then they didn't precisely measure their lye and soaps were usually lye heavy and made with just lard and water.

Thank goodness it's not made that way anymore. We have more control now. Not to say that Grandma's soap was bad, just that it's a lot more mild these days.

Here's to grandma's soap, without it.... my mom would have been too dirty to have met my dad! lol j/k